Individuals seeking to cross the Myawaddy-Mae Sot No. 1 Friendship Bridge on the Thailand-Myanmar border will be permitted access to the Thai side will only be permitted if temporarily surrender their national identification cards (NRCs) to Myanmar border authorities.

"Residents who frequently traverse the bridge may be exempted; however individuals arriving from other regions to Myawaddy and seeking passage to the Mae Sot side may encounter temporary confiscation of their NRCs, only receiving them upon return to the Myawaddy side. Those suspected by authorities are also subjected to extortion by the police and border authorities”, a Myawaddy resident, close to the bridge authorities, told KIC.

Regular traders to Mae Sot, hospital and clinic visitors, holders of 14-day temporary passports, and those with one-year passports continue to cross the border without any hindrance, he added.

Currently clashes are escalating between Junta troops and the joint forces led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) along the Asia Road section, which connects to the border near Myawaddy.

Myawaddy-based truck service companies have reported that trade between Thailand and Myanmar is predominantly active only for food items, whereas trade in machinery, building materials, and consumer goods has nearly come to a halt.

"As Asia Road is presently inaccessible, we've resorted to routes via Tokawkoe, Shwe Kokko, and Kyatoutaung to reach Hpa-An, Mawlamyine, Yangon, and Mandalay. Unfortunately, trade in hardware and machinery has nearly ceased. The condition of our current routes is poor, posing a risk of goods damage in case of accidents. We anticipate that once Asia Road reopens, trade in these goods will regain momentum”, a lorry service operator said.

A person assisting Myanmar migrant workers highlighted a potential trend where migrant workers who have come to settle for work along the Thailand-Myanmar border may increasingly attempt illegal crossings into Thailand in the foreseeable future.